Larri Thomas

Larri Thomas (January 23, 1932 – October 20, 2013) was an American actress and dancer. She began her career by participating in a string of television commercials and eventually signed a contract with NBC. The network put on Thomas' shows, including Peter Gunn and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. She became one of the six Goldwyn Girls selected by Samuel Goldwyn to go on tour for the movie Guys and Dolls, in which she makes a brief appearance. Thomas was also in the movies Mary Poppins and Island of Love. She was the stand-in for Julie Andrews in some flying sequences in Mary Poppins and her stand-in in The Sound of Music. Thomas also appeared in movies and television with Dean Martin. In her later years, she appeared in Dynasty, Cheers, and Coach.

Writer Lida Larrimore Thomas was her mother. Thomas' 1951 novel The Lovely Duckling was written about Larri's childhood on the family farm in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

In December 1955, Thomas married John Bromfield, star of the syndicated crime drama Sheriff of Cochise, from whom she was divorced in 1959. In 1972, she managed to acquire one of her biggest roles, as Henrietta Hippo on the television show New Zoo Revue. Later, Thomas was married to Bruce Hoy and participated in a number of charity benefits, such as the Professional Dancers Society. In 1960 it was reported that she was in a relationship with baseball player/manager Leo Durocher.[citation needed ]

Thomas died on October 20, 2013, due to natural causes, in her Van Nuys home. She was 81 years old. Thomas' husband, Bruce Hoy died on January 31, 2014.